Dr. David Baum (he/him)
Professor of Botany
Phone: (608) 265 – 5385
Email: dbaum@wisc.edu
Twitter: @baobabbaum
Research Interests: Evolutionary and systematic theory; plant evolution and developmental genetics; origin of life; pollination biology
Curriculum Vitae (June 2025)
Zhen Peng, PhD.
Research Scientist — Evolution, Ecology & Population Biology, Ph.D.
Email: zhen.peng@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Autocatalysis, Origin of life, Chemical reaction networks, Complex systems, Evolution
Tymofii Sokolskyi (he/him)
Graduate Student – Astrobiology and Evolution
Email: sokolskyi@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Evolution-like dynamics of fatty acid vesicles; Origins of autocatalysis.
Website: https://www.tymsokolskyi.com/
Twitter: @globalglobule
Nicole Anderson (she/they)
Graduate Student – Astrobiology and Evolution
Email: jjanderson27@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Origins of biological individuality and complexity
Emily Spencer (she/they)
Graduate Student – Astrobiology and Evolution
Email: espencer7@wisc.edu
Research Interests: Origins of life; Astrobiology
Ronan Montgomery-Taylor
Research Specialist
Email: montgomeryta@wisc.edu
Walid Lakdari
Undergraduate Student (Biology with Biocore Certificate)
Email: lakdari@wisc.edu
Anushka Malaiya
Undergraduate Student (Biology with Biocore & Dance Certificates)
Email: malaiya@wisc.edu
Research interests: Microbial diversity, origin of life
Lukas Neo-Vajyimleej Lee
Undergraduate Student (Biochemistry)
Email: lnlee@wisc.edu
Research interests: Microbial diversity, origin of life
Naz Michel
Undergraduate Student
Email: nmichel2@wisc.edu